


The beginning of everything

by Charlotte_McGonagall



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Episode: The Day of the Doctor, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 09:48:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3115565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlotte_McGonagall/pseuds/Charlotte_McGonagall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Malcolm Taylor and Karen Osgood are colleagues and friends, but Malcolm starts having romantic feelings for his younger co-worker. Uncertain about her feelings, he decides not to reveal his attraction.<br/>The intervention of a Zygon will change things.<br/>Set during Day of the Doctor.</p><p>Yes, it's a Malcolm Taylor/Osgood. No, I'm not kidding.</p><p>This fanfiction was first posted in Italian and then translated to English.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The beginning of everything

**Author's Note:**

> This was first written in Italian for my friend SakiJune's birthday, since she also ships this pairing. I finally found the time to translate it.
> 
> Osgood's first name in the story, Karen, is of course invented by me.  
> In case you forgot, Malcolm Taylor is the UNIT scientist and Doctor fanboy who appeared in the episode Planet of the dead.  
> Don't you think they would make a good couple?
> 
> For the sake of your sanity, try not to think about what happened in Death in Heaven. Pretend that the episode doesn't exist. You've been warned.
> 
> As I mentioned above, English is not my first language. I did my best, but there might be some mistakes. Please, let me know if I have to correct something.

The first time Malcolm had met her, he hadn't been impressed by her. She had come to pick up her father after work and he had introduced them.  
She had a feeble handshake and an avoiding gaze and she looked younger than she actually was.  
He was surprised when she had told him she had read the scientific articles he had written several years before. She was clever and she became suddenly more self-confident when discussing science.  
She had said she studied Physics at university.  
'When you get your degree, you could come and work with us,' he had said, smiling, non too seriously.  
'That's what I hope,' she had said, with a sudden spark in her eyes.

*

He hadn't thought about Karen Osgood until, a few years later, when her father had already retired, she had managed to fulfil her dream to join UNIT.  
She proved to be as clever as he had supposed at their first meeting and her company could become really pleasant, once she managed to overcome her lack of confidence.  
She admired him and was eager to learn and he decided he really wanted to teach her what he knew, become her mentor — or whatever one could label what he was for her.  
As months progressed, he started to enjoy her company more and more. They had much in common and they understood each other perfectly. They had become friends without even realising it. Suddenly, they found themselves eating lunch together everyday, making small talk as they worked side by side in the lab, spending ours in the archives studying UNIT's old files, treating each other as peers, regardless of age difference and role disparity.  
She made him feel younger and less lonely and he made her feel appreciated, even if he had no idea how much she needed it.  
She had learnt to trust him, to open up, to let her weaknesses show, and he had let her get closer, he had welcomed that weakness and promised to protect her. But who would protect him from his own feelings?

He couldn't tell when he started to feel something other than friendship for her, but he would always remember the moment he realised it: they were having coffee and she was telling him about her last quarrel with her mother, who teased her more and more frequently because she hadn't found a boyfriend yet ("And you are in your thirties now, you can't spend your whole life all alone. You have to go out, meet people, if you want to find someone before all the best are taken..."), and suddenly found himself imagining her by the side of a faceless man and the mere idea had given him a nearly painful lurch of his stomach and had made his heart race.  
He had been scared by what he had felt and had took a long sip of coffee, to hide his face as much as he could, afraid that his face could betray him.  
He still wasn't able to put a label on that sensation, yet he knew it was wrong, something to be ashamed of.

Several hours later, as he lay sleepless in his bed, he finally admitted that what he had felt was jealousy towards the man that, someday, could be loved by Karen Osgood.  
He imagined her laughing at his jokes, the same way she laughed when they were together, he saw her as he picked her up outside the Tower at the end of the day and she kissed him. Then, he pictured himself kissing her instead, and his heart started beating so fast he was afraid.  
He started turning in his bed, fighting the though of her lips with the thousands reasons why falling in love with her was wrong: she was his friend, she was eighteen years younger than him, she was his colleague (no, worse than that, she worked under him), she certainly didn't feel the same...  
Yet, the more he used reason, the more reason mocked him, exposing to him why he and Karen would be a good couple instead: they had many common interests, they were close, they understood each other perfectly and, if there was any woman that could love him, it was her.  
The cons prevailed, but they were not strong enough to erase what he felt.  
Being at her side every day became a slow torture, but he didn't stop searching for her company.  
Sometimes he nearly thought she felt the same, that her smile hid something deeper, that her eyes looked at him with interest.  
That uncertainty, that sense of unknown, was worse than a rejection.  
He would've preferred her being in love with someone else; at least it would have been a certainty.

His solitude was becoming more and more unbearable.  
He had always felt a vague wish every time he saw his acquaintances getting married and having children. He missed a family, or simply a partner to share his life with, but now that she was in his mind, now that the woman of his fantasies had a name, a face and a a soul, coming home to find a cat as his only company was hardly bearable.  
He was aging and he was tired of missing something.  
Sometimes he wondered whether his feelings for Karen were nothing but the sign of a mid-life crisis. Nothing but the crush of a lonely man for a younger woman. Then he saw her and he realised he really loved her, not the way one loves the very idea of love, not the way ine takes something vague and turns it into an object of affection. He did love her and every little detail about her, and every flaw made her special.  
He wanted her, but, more than anything, he wanted her to be happy.  
That's why he'd better step aside.

*

Malcolm had called Kate, McGillop and Karen several times, always with no results.  
For a while he had waited for orders, but hours were passing and he was getting more and more nervous.  
He checked the security system and they all were reported to be in the Black Archive.

*

Zygon soldier 7438 was having a hard time keeping detached and professional.  
Even one he had recovered his memory, it wasn't easy to separate his own emotions from the human's.  
It was his first experience with a creature of acceptable intelligence and he was lucky, because his subject was even more intelligent than the average human (or maybe it was bad luck, judging by the subsequent events). He did exactly what he had been trained for: to search for useful memories, to identify the distinctive traits of the creature and to cut out weak emotions, concentrating on the victim's strong emotions, on everything Zygon he could find in her.  
He found what he was looking for: maybe that female didn't easily show it, but there was anger inside of her (especially for her mother, that always preferred her little sister) and jealousy (which was uncommon among the Zygons, but that could be easily converted into rage) and frustration. It was then that problems started, because the creature was full of defects, both in her body and her mind, and he made a mistake and pushed himself too far.  
Soldier 7438 felt her anguish and the uncontrollable thoughts she fought against every day, by filling her mind with numbers and reassuring sentences. Irrational fear was inconceivable for a Zygon, and even more was fear of one's very own thoughts. He hadn't been prepared for this, during training.

He was too involved, that was certain. There was no other way he hadn't transformed the very moment he had found out he was the Zygon. He could have revealed the truth to his companions and they could have killed the humans in a few minutes, but the girl had revealed her identity with trust. Maybe she had known it for several minutes but she had stayed silent, she hadn't alerted her kind either  
And in that moment, as he found out he was the Zygon, he realised he had never felt so human and that a pat of him wished he were Karen Osgood, because in her there was something stronger than anger, jealousy and fear, because, when the countdown had started, avery trace of resentment had been wiped away by a fierce love for her dear ones. She had been afraid to die, but even more she had feared that her family and those she loved would be killed in the explosion, even the sister she seemed to hate.  
And there was a man in her mind — together with her beloved father and the Doctor, that she admired greatly — that was hidden behind her every thought, discretely but constantly. He wasn't particularly attractive by human standards, as far as he knew (he couldn't have told, to him humans looked pretty much the same), but she seemed to prefer him to every possible male partner on the planet.  
There was a painful regret in her, for those they hadn't lived together.  
Soldier 7438 would never ever understand human courtship; but he would never be loved the way she loved that human either, and this made him feel inferior to those creatures for the first time.

*

The negotiation was over and the Doctor, as promised, had given memories back to both factions.  
If the parts were dissatisfied with the agreement, neither showed it. They all looked glad to be alive.  
Communications were restored and Karen looked at the display of her mobile phone and smiled  
She called Malcolm and he answered immediately.  
'Where are you?', he said, his voice altered by worry. 'Are you ok? Why none of you answered? I was worried!'.  
'I'm fine,' she answered, 'we all are. It's a long story. We are in the Black Archive, we're about to get out, come and meet us and we'll explain'.  
'Yes, I had guessed it. I've out here for a while,' he said.  
She smiled. Of course, she should have expected no less from him.

The Tenth Doctor opened the door, and she rushed outside. As promised, Malcolm was waiting there, and she hurried to hug him.  
'Ok,' he said, as they broke the hug, 'now you have to explain wha-'.  
McGillop, Kate and the Zygons went out and Malcolm was left speechless.  
'Zygons,' Osgood explained, 'but don't worry, the situation is under control. The Doctor solved everything'.  
At that very moment, the two Doctors and Clara Oswald passed by them hurriedly.  
'Doctor,' Malcolm called, excitedly.  
Both turned back.  
'Malcolm,' the Tenth Doctor exclaimed immediately, stopping to say hi. 'It's good to see you again!'.  
The Eleventh Doctor Joined them.  
'Hello,' he said, shaking Malcolm's hand, 'still the Doctor, minus the sand-shoes'.  
Malcolm's gaze went from one Doctor to the other, as he smiled widely.  
'They're not sand-shoes,' the younger Doctor retorted, 'and hear who's talking, Doctor Bow tie'.  
The other shot him an offended glance.  
'Ehy, bow ties are cool!'.  
Clara interrupted them befor the other could answer.  
'Excuse me,' she cut in, 'your past self is about to commit a double genocide, would you mind get a move on?'.  
'Yes, right, sorry,' the Eleventh said, making a gesture with his hands at every word. 'See you,' he exclaimed, smiling to Malcolm and Karen one more time and doing two thumbs up. 'And you, Kate,' he added, 'try and preserve this planet, I put a lot of effort in protecting it and so did your father'.  
Kate smiled and nodded. Karen would have sworn she had tears in her eyes.  
'Thank you, Doctor,' she said, as Clara and the three Doctors left, 'thank you for saving us again'.  
Karen tightened her grip around Malcolm's hand, that she had not realised she was holding until that moment.

The other Zygons were going back to their true appearence, but soldier 7438 had one last thing to do. He walked to Karen and gave her inhaler back.  
Malcolm looked at them with disbelief.  
'Thanks,' she said, taking it and putting it in her pocket.  
The Zygon nodded slightly in a gesture of respect. 'Thanks to you'.  
He looked at Malcolm and recognised him as the man in Karen's mind, the one she had loved silently for years. He saw their jointed hands and smiled slightly.  
'You know,' he said, whispering so that the rest of the group wouldn't hear him, 'this would be the best moment to kiss'.  
Karen went suddenly pale and Malcolm blushed.  
'I have seen your memories and this sort of ineffective mating ritual you've been performing for years has lasted long enough,' he added, in a practical, no-nonsense tone. It was impressive to see Osgood's body making that speech. 'Considering life expectancy of humans of this century, you don't seem to have time to waste, you make me wonder how this species has not gone extinct yet'.  
Then, he turned back into Zygon form and walked away.  
They let go of each other's hands, embarrassed. Malcolm looked at Karen, who was looking down at the floor.  
'So,' he said, 'now I really need some explanation'.  
'Osgood, I need you here, follow me,' Kate ordered, before Karen had time to answer to him. 'Malcolm, go back to your office and wait for instructions'.  
They both jumped into action and split into opposite directions.  
His cheeks and ears were still completely flushed and he hurried down the corridor.

*

Karen would have sworn that had been the longest day of her life (and she had seen a fair amount of long and tiring days at UNIT).  
It was nearly midnight but activity had not ceased at the Tower.  
Facing the Zygons had only been the tip of an iceberg, which included hours on the phone with UNIT bases all over the world and the Ministry of Defence, plus an awful amount of reports to write and forms to fill.  
She took off her glasses and rested her forehead in her hands, trying to stop an incoming headache.  
Kate entered the office and she put her glasses back on and tried to compose herself.  
'Go home,' Kate said, in a tone that revealed her own exhaustion, 'it's been one hell of a day'.  
'Are you sure?', Karen asked. 'If you still need me, I can stay'.  
'No,' the other replied, 'I'm leaving soon too and you've already done a lot'.  
'Thanks, ma'am,' the younger woman said, starting to tidy up her desk. 'Goodnight'.  
'Goodnight, Osgood,' Kate answered, leaving the room.  
Karen was eager to go home and rest, but she had to do something first, something that had bee waiting for far too long.  
If there was anything that sharing the memories of a Zygon had taught her, it was to fight for what she wished for, even taking risks.  
And if a Zygon could give love advice to humans, she would find the courage to confess her feelings to Malcolm. After all, the Zygon had already done half of the job.  
She took her phone and texted him: "I'd like to talk to you. :)".  
His answer came nearly immediately, as if he had been waiting for her text: "I'm in my office. I'm waiting for you".

Karen's heart raced at every step towards his office. She stopped mid-way to check her reflection in a glass door and fix her hair with shaking hands.  
'I can do this,' she whispered to herself as she walked, 'everything is going to be fine'.  
When she reached the door she used her inhaler before knocking.  
He opened immediately and invited her to take a seat.  
Malcolm Taylor's office was, as usual, the reign of disorder, but he had tried to clear the centre of his desk by piling books and papers at the sides.  
'I'm making tea,' he said, pointing at two paper glasses with a teabag each. 'I though you might want some, after a day like this'.  
He was fidgeting, the way he always did when he was nervous.  
'Thanks,' she said. 'It's a kind thought, I'm really exhausted.  
'I don't doubt it,' he said, straightening a pile of documents that was waving rather dangerously in the corner of the desk. 'We're all tired and we've had a lot to do. McGillop told me what happened. It was so absurd Ihad to believe him'.  
He took the electrical kettle and started pouring hot water into the glasses, pouring a fair amount of it on the desk. He started searching for something to dry his desk with all over the office, opening drawers and boxes and checking everywhere, still moving in his clumsy and fidgety way.  
She smiled sweetly while he was turned back.  
'You know,' he said, as he jumped from one corner of the office to another, 'I was really worried today, when you stopped answering. I had no idea what had happened to you, I really feared... But luckily everything ended well...'.  
He checked the desk drawers again and she handed him a kleenex.  
'Here,' she said, 'use this'.  
'Oh, thank you,' he said, as he proceeded to dry the water, 'I'm always so clumsy, I'm sorry'.  
She smiled. His clumsiness, together with his nervous rambling, always made her smile. They were a few of the many things that made her fall in love with him everyday.  
'But you were here to talk,' he added, after a short pause, 'and I've been the only one to talk, forgive me, I'm a disaster! You know, I would like to talk to you too, but of course, you go first. I mean, I'm already talking, but, when I say I need to talk, I mean in a more... serious way... I mean...'.  
His ears were flushed again and his gaze was anxious and hopeful at the same time.  
Karen knew what she wanted to tell him, it was a speech she had practiced several times in front of the mirror over the past few years, but she didn't think she would be able to pronounce it in front of him. So, she took his hand. He looked up towards her and she kissed him. It was fast and delicate, but it sent a wave of heat running along her body.  
When she moved back, he remained still, paralysed. His stunned expression turned slowly into a smile, as his eyes lit. Karen thought about how stupid she had been for putting off that moment for so long, because the happiness on his face was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.  
A few seconds passed, before he finally broke the silence.  
'Does this mean...?'.  
'Yes,' she answered, smiling back at him.  
'And so what the Zygon said...?'.  
'Yes'.  
'Can I kiss you?'.  
She laughed. 'Yes'.  
Their lips touched again, this time longer, as they were still at opposite sides of the desk and the steaming tea fogged Karen's glasses.  
Right then, nothing — nor tiredness, nor the alien invasion they had stopped, not even the Doctor's visit — mattered, except for their interwoven fingers and all the hopes and promises that kiss held.  
And there would be time, a whole night and many other nights worth of time; time to talk till they would lose their voice and the tea would run cold, to stay up all night or fall asleep in each other's arms, time for shyness and intimacy; and that kiss was the beginning of everything.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked this.
> 
> Again, let me know if I messed up with English grammar.  
> Also, feel free to comment if you have something to say. Your feedback is very appreciated and useful, especially constructive criticism.
> 
> If you liked this unusual pairing, you can visit the facebook page SakiJune and I created for them:  
> https://www.facebook.com/unitcuties
> 
> Thank you for reading.


End file.
